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eligunn
09-07-2004, 08:58 PM
I changed the plugs today, and found oil on plugs 3,4,and 6. The other plugs were dry.
The car seems to run fine and I've never noticed any smoke.
What am I getting into on this one?
darron525
09-07-2004, 10:37 PM
I changed the plugs today, and found oil on plugs 3,4,and 6. The other plugs were dry.
The car seems to run fine and I've never noticed any smoke.
What am I getting into on this one?


I had the same problem, it was the valve cover gasket.

darron
eligunn
09-08-2004, 06:53 AM
wow! so it could be that simple huh?
Are there any other indications I should look for?
How is the oil getting down on the plugs?
eligunn
09-08-2004, 05:27 PM
I'm starting to think this could be related to the pcv valve somehow.
I can see 2 hoses going from the intake to the valve cover at the front of the engine.
The hoses both look pretty dirty and the connection on the valve cover seems loose.
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Karl
09-08-2004, 09:13 PM
Which engine are we dealing with here?
My 535i engine has no pcv valve, just a hose from the valve cover to the throttle. If that hose is leaking, you get a vacuum leak that draws oil into the intake. Since the throttle is in the middle, the oil that gets sucked in goes mostly to cylinder 3 and 4.
Another possibility is valve seals--the usual symptom is making some oil smoke on deceleration.
eligunn
09-09-2004, 03:30 PM
The car is a 95 525. I have a bentley manual in the mail coming to me.
The valve cover to throttle hose is what I am refering to. I guess it's actually called a breather hose or something.
I have not noticed any smoking or loss of power, but this is the first bmw I've owned.
I was changing the spark plugs when I noticed oil on the threads of number 3,4,and 6 plugs.
I didn't notice any oil running down the side of that long hole that swallows the plug, so I think it's coming from inside the cylinders.
I can definitely tell that the plastic clip-on connector that attaches the two hoses to the valve cover is loose, and the hoses look dirty with oil although the rest of the engine compartment isn't as dirty looking.
The car has 90k miles on it.
Thanks for your help.